February 12, 2015

Senate committee passes marijuana legalization

The Senate Rules Committee passed a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize the use of recreational marijuana in New Mexico.

The committee voted 5-4 to pass SJR 2 out of the Senate Rules Committee on Thursday, the first time such legislation has passed the committee.

The joint resolution passed without fanfare in front of a largely empty room following a number of confirmations in the committee.

Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, sponsored the legislation and spoke to New Mexico Political Report following the short hearing.

“The wording is very simple, it says possession and personal use of marijuana shall be lawful for persons of 21 years of age or older,” Ortiz y Pino explained, “and then the legislature has to come up with the laws to govern how it’s produced, processed, transported, sold, taxed and how much would be acceptable quantities.”

If the legislation passes the Senate, which is anything but certain, it would likely face a tough road in the House where Republicans hold a majority. If it were to pass both chambers, the legislation would go straight to voters. The governor cannot veto a proposed constitutional amendment.

Ortiz y Pino said he thought it was important for voters to have a say in the legalization.

“If we do it on our own, without giving it to the voters to decide, then there’s always that question of whether we really have support,” he said. He noted that it would be going against the federal government, but that other states that have done so have not had major problems with the federal government.

At least one Republican who voted against the legislation said he believed it would eventually be legal.

“I do think it’s coming,” Sen. Mark Moores, R-Albuquerque, said during debate on the bill. “But we have to do it prudently.”

Moores told the committee that he believed that marijuana would be legal in five to ten years. However, he said he didn’t believe that a constitutional amendment was the right way to make marijuana legal.

“I don’t think smoking a bowl is a constitutional right,” he said.

Moores said he supported a study to look into the legalization of marijuana, though that legislation did not pass in 2013. He mentioned support for a study similar to one done in Vermont, another state that is looking into legalizing the use of recreation marijuana.

This is the second year that Ortiz y Pino has introduced a joint resolution asking for the legalization of marijuana. It did not pass any committees last year.

It is good for supporters of the joint resolution that it would not have to go to the governor; Gov. Susana Martinez has said she opposes the legalization of marijuana and has expressed opposition to the state’s medical marijuana law.

The legislation heads to the Senate Judiciary Committee next.

Correction:

This piece previously said “Brian Moores” instead of “Mark Moores.” We regret the error.

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A day after state health officials announced the highest single-day number of COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, they announced 129 additional confirmed cases and five additional deaths related to the disease. On Saturday, the state Department of Health announced five additional cases at the Otero County Prison Facility.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a bill into law Friday that protects working mothers and new moms from discrimination in the workplace. HB 25, or the Pregnant Worker Accommodation Bill, amends the state’s Human Rights Act to make pregnancy, childbirth and conditions related to either a protected class from employment discrimination.

Public health orders restricting some businesses and public gatherings are slowly being lifted, but the New Mexico Supreme Court’s restrictions on eviction proceedings and limitations on civil cases in general are still in place. State Supreme Court Justice Shannon Bacon said she expects an increase of civil cases once courts are fully functioning.
“What we’re anticipating with the health pandemic and the downturn of the economy and a really high unemployment rate are issues that really raise their head in the same way they did in 2008 and 2009 with the recession,” Bacon said.

For years, it was one of the most talked-about proposals in the Roundhouse.
There was repeated excitement, momentum, controversy and resistance — all over legislation calling for a constitutional amendment to tap more of the state’s nearly $20 billion Land Grant Permanent Fund to pay for early childhood education. But this year, the atmosphere is more one of muted neglect.

A judge reaffirmed his ruling that out-of-state residents are eligible for medical cannabis cards on Monday. State District Court Judge Bryan Biedscheid again ordered the state Department of Health to provide medical cannabis cards to those non-New Mexico residents who qualify for the state’s program.

For years, it was one of the most talked-about proposals in the Roundhouse.
There was repeated excitement, momentum, controversy and resistance — all over legislation calling for a constitutional amendment to tap more of the state’s nearly $20 billion Land Grant Permanent Fund to pay for early childhood education. But this year, the atmosphere is more one of muted neglect.

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A day after state health officials announced the highest single-day number of COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, they announced 129 additional confirmed cases and five additional deaths related to the disease.

State Human Services Department Secretary Dr. David Scrase offered some data supporting the use of masks and social distancing to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
The use of face masks in public has become a polarizing topic among some communities as the state has loosened its restrictions on businesses, including closures, over the last week.
While cloth masks aren’t suitable for use in healthcare settings, Scrase said they are still useful at preventing the spread of the illness among the general public.

Public health orders restricting some businesses and public gatherings are slowly being lifted, but the New Mexico Supreme Court’s restrictions on eviction proceedings and limitations on civil cases in general are still in place.

Matthew Reichbach is the editor of the NM Political Report. The former founder and editor of the NM Telegram, Matthew was also a co-founder of New Mexico FBIHOP with his brother and one of the original hires at the groundbreaking website the New Mexico Independent. Matthew has covered events such as the Democratic National Convention and Netroots Nation and formerly published, “The Morning Word,” a daily political news summary for NM Telegram and the Santa Fe Reporter.